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Molly looked to her friends Cole shrugged Walter gazed longingly down the row of comparth," she told Stanley, pulling Walter away froh the glass barrier as yet another group filed out another elevator It was one of the same clusters they’d seen on the balcony below The other Stanley held the adjacent elevator door open for Molly’s group
"Thank you, Stanley"
"Of course, Stanley"
Molly waved to the touring family, then heard a commotion to her other side She turned and saw that Walter had walked right into the other group’s Stanley, dropping his video gaized for her friend "He doesn’t watch where he’s going"
"Not a proble his jacket Walter grabbed his game and hurried inside the elevator while Cole and Molly exchanged an elance
Their Stanley was all smiles, artificial yet sincere He swiped his card to keep the tour roup outside
The other Stanley stood at the glass barrier to expansion phase four, patting his jacket and apologizing profusely to his group
••••
"The visitation and guest suites," Stanley announced The elevator doors dinged open, and they stepped out into a grand, carpeted lobby Plush furnishings and chandeliers do structural with the ceiling Paneled walls and detailedclass and wealth
It wasn’t a Drenard prison cell by any stretch, but it fully nice
A dozen Stanleys strolled purposefully in every direction, aluest or two People and aliens lounged on the furniture with electronic readers, a reminder to Molly of the one she’d lost on Palan and still hadn’t replaced A Stanley behind the registration counter directed a group, pointing down a hall and giving directions through a broad smile
Walter’s eyes were as wide as Molly had ever seen theal Hotel back home?" she asked him
"Not even closse," he whispered
Stanley led theistration desk "Fyde, party of three," he said
"Of course Excellent," the seated Stanley said "We have two guests on the West wing, suite thirty-eight, and one visitor--a Molly Fyde?" he searched their faces until Molly nodded "Of course," the Stanley said "You will be in visitation room twelve" He smiled and held out his hand "Passes, please"
They each fuh his computer The two Stanleys smiled at one another before their Stanley waved them out of the crowded lobby and down a lushly carpeted hall
"Hey, Stanley," Cole said, "I have a question"
"Absolutely, my dear man Ask away"
"Why did Dr Dakura decide to put people’s personalities and ood android technology? I mean, no offense meant, but your model is really iroup, cutting off Cole’s question "Suite thirty-eight," he said "Let’s go inside"
Walter insisted on using his card to open the door, his delighted hiss providing a fitting sound effect as the passage slid open Molly giggled to herself
Stanley waved thee hotel rooood boy, superb It’s no secret that our work here is being done alongside an even grander project below--"
"The canisters?"
"No,and expensive project there--funded primarily by LIFE--to terraforrabbed a small device off the suite’s kitchen counter and pointed it toward the wall opposite the beds A video projection flashed up
Stanley worked his way through a few menus while Walter threw himself onto one of the beds and made a pile out of the pillows "Thiss iss like Drenard!" he told the roo; Stanley handed the reested "It’s all about the future of Dakura and our expansion plans to offer a different kind of afterlife" He addressed Molly "Upgrades will be offered to our existing clients first, of course And we are already scouting other planets that could be purchased cheaply and set aside for future phases
"Nohile you catch up on that, I aet Ms Fyde situated Roo will be credited to your Unlied a look She waved, nodded her head, then followed Stanley back to the lobby and down a different hallway
"Will my mother knoho I am?" she asked Stanley
"Why, of course she will She has already been notified of your visitation"
"Yeah, but--it’s been a long time I mean, I was only a few months old when she last saw me"
"Not quite three months," he said "Don’t worry We have visitors all the time that have never met nor known their relatives" He lowered his voice to a whisper "Usually here begging for ht about what she was here to do
It gave her a shiver
"Visitation roo her toward a door Molly swiped her card, and the passage opened without any of Walter’s sound effects
They entered a room very similar to the one they had recently departed--same color scheme, same tasteful fabrics However, unlike the suite where Cole and Walter were likely wrestling over the rele cluster of furniture They fore ottoman, and a ets that gleaht from the suspended chandelier
Molly followed Stanley as he led her to the chair As she got closer, she noticed the IV stand behind the chair, fro of fluids
"Please sit," Stanley said, sweeping one arh the air
"What’s with the IV?" she asked
"Oh, you shouldn’t be needing that It’s for our clients ish to have an extended stay with their loved ones Of course, if you change your mind, your unli-stay visitation room Entirely up to you, of course"
Molly shook her head "Uh, no Thanks I probably won’t even need the three hours, to be honest I’m not even sure what to say to her"
"That’s every visitor’s biggest fear Trust oes smoothly The time hiz by faster than you ant it to"
"You’re probably right But, no needles, okay?"